Maggie Bauer-Chamberlain
}} |} Margaret Lilly "Maggie" Bauer-Chamberlain (Born April 4, 2764 in Kien, Greater Hulstria, d. April 5, 2836) was a Hulstrian politician, and Chairman of the Socialist Party of Greater Hulstria. Daughter of former SPGH Chairman Ambrose Bauer, Bauer-Chamberlain spent her childhood in Kien, at a time when her father was quickly gaining power within the Socialist Party. When she was 13, her father became party leader, and putting Maggie and her siblings in the spotlight. Originally percieved as a bookworm and a self-described nerd, by the time she graduated from college she had transformed into a charismatic leader, gaining praise for her wide appeal to voters and political skill. She moved rapidly through the party ranks, eventually becoming party chairman in 2801. When she entered the Imperial Diet at the age of 24 she was the second youngest member in it's history, with the only younger person being her father, Ambrose. Early Life Born April 4, 2764, Margaret Lilly Bauer was the second of three kids by Ambrose and Heather Bauer. Her joined her older brother William, and they were later joined by a younger sister, Charlotte. Only Five months after her birth, her father first won election to the Imperial Diet. Her father would become the Socialist Party Leader when she was only 12. Growing up in the Mormon Quarter of Kien, Bauer-Chamberlain attended the Emperor Franz I High School, where she ranked second in her class. She was constantly taunted by her classmates for her looks, bookworm personality, and for being the daughter of one of the most powerful political figures in the nation. She was also constantly mocked in the press and by late night comics, drawing the ire of her parents and many party supports. Despite all of this, after graduating high school, she attended the prestigious Imperial University of Kien, where she would achieve top rank. While there, she would undergo a transformation from bookworm into a charasmatic and approachable leader. After earning her Ph.d in Criminal Law, many wondered if she would run for political office. As it turns out, they did not have to wait long for an answer. Parliamentary Election of 2788 At the age of 24, she entered her first election campaign, challenging Claus Meyers for the seat representing the Crownland of Hulstria. Initially, it was thought to be a safe seat, held by a man who represented that district for more than 20 years, and who was 15 points ahead of Bauer-Chamberlain only four months before election day. But then Meyers began a series of major mistakes. Perhaps the most damaging occured seven weeks before the ballots were to be cast, in which Meyers made disparaging remarks about the Mormon population of his district. The Mormons, who previously made up a great deal of his base, bolted to vote for Bauer-Chamberlain. By election day, the combination of Meyer's mistakes and an effective and well run campaign by Bauer-Chamberlain, resulted in Bauer-Chamberlain being elected to the Imperial Diet 52% to 48%. She was the second youngest member in the history of the Imperial Diet, with the youngest being her father Ambrose. Parliamentarian From the start, Bauer-Chamberlain made quite the impression on her fellow Parliamentarians, proving to be a powerful force in the Diet. Over the first six months of her term she worked feverishly to build support for an FAP sponsored bill to provide healthcare coverage to all citizens. When that bill failed to pass in the Diet, she endorsed the Bauer-Schwab Health Care Reform Act of 2790, which would have given universal health care and free prescription drugs to low income citizens. Although widely popular among voters, it too failed due to opposition from the Christliche Liberalen Allianz. After a few years of moving quickly up the political ladder, Bauer-Chamberlain was elected as a the youngest member of the Socialist Party Board of Selectmen. Following the diagnosis and death of her father Ambrose, she was believed to be preparing to one day become chairman of the SPGH, and has been critical of her father's successor, John Sato. Following the general election of 2800, in which the party lost 26 seats in the Diet, she went toe-to-toe with Soto. Chairmanship In October, 2800, Soto faced a challenge from Maggie Bauer-Chamberlain, the daughter of former Chairman Ambrose Bauer. Although Soto was reelected by the assembly 52%-48%, he faced increasing pressure from many within the party over the next few months. Tensions peaked in the summer of 2801, when it was revealed that Soto had been absent from Thatcher House for more than a month, leaving party affairs to his staff when critical legislation was being debated by the Diet. Also, his reluctance to give interviews to the press and his lack of charisma caused his approval ratings to plummet. Eventually, his base of support rapidly disappeared, and the party Board of Selectmen voted 7-3 (with Bauer-Chamberlain abstaining, under party laws) to hold a mid-term meeting of the General Assembly in September, 2801 to vote for a Chairman, the first time the board made such a move. When the Assembly voted, it overwhelmingly elected Bauer-Chamberlain as its new Chairman, by 81% to 19%. Personal Life In 2786, rumours began to appear of a romantic relationship between the then Maggie Bauer and the son of former Fascist Authority Party Chairman Erik Chamberlain, Alfred Chamberlain. The Chamberlain and Bauer families had been very close since the election of Bauer's father as SP Chairman in 2776, with her father and the senior Chamberlain well known for their close, personal friendship. The junior Bauer and the junior Chamberlain had known each other since childhood, and maintained a friendship all through college. While the families remained tight lipped about the existence of a romance, the rumours continued to spread until the two finally announced their engagment to the press in 2789. The engagment marked the merger of two of the most powerful political families in the country, with the announcement making big headlines across the globe. The wedding took place at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Kien. The ceremony was attended by many of the political elite in the country. After the ceremony, Bauer changed her name to Margaret Bauer-Chamberlain. Electoral Results Parliamentary Election of 2788 Parliamentary Election of 2791 Parliamentary Election of 2794 Parliamentary Election of 2797 Parliamentary Election of 2800 Socialist Party Mid-Term Chairmanship Election of 2801 Category:Bauer-Chamberlain Family Category:Hulstrian and Gao-Soton people